


number 57

by starlightkun



Category: NCT (Band), WAYV
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, F/M, First Meetings, Fluff, Football Player Wong Yuk Hei, Meet-Cute, hee fuckin hoo, very american concept of hs football and homecoming jsyk
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-09
Updated: 2020-10-09
Packaged: 2021-03-08 00:48:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,008
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26906887
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/starlightkun/pseuds/starlightkun
Summary: in which the player who ruined your team’s homecoming game is oddly charming
Relationships: Wong Yuk Hei | Lucas/Reader
Comments: 1
Kudos: 41





	number 57

You were sweaty, your legs and feet hurt, and if you didn’t get a drink of water in the next ten minutes you might lose your voice for a week straight. And you were having the time of your life.

It was your homecoming football game, and you were packed into the student section with most everyone in your school, surrounded by your friends. Your team’s star player, who also happened to be one of your good friends, just got tackled by a member of the opposing team. For the third time this quarter.

“Oh come on 57!” Your friend Johnny yelled out from beside you angrily, the whole student section in uproar as the whistles were blown and the players reset.

“Alright how many was that?” You leaned over to your friend on your other side, Taeyong. At every game, the two of you made it more interesting by guessing how many brain cells the players lost after every tumble, tackle, or fall.

“For Jaehyun, I’m saying at least five, for 57 only like two.” Taeyong replied loudly over the sound of the next play beginning.

“I was thinking eight for Jae. Did you see him somersault over 57’s knee?” You chuckled at this, eagerly watching the field again. The score was still zero to zero, which wasn’t bad, but wasn’t ideal.

Just a few minutes later, Jae had barely gotten the ball and started running down the field when he was yet again stopped by 57. As soon as he’d gotten Jae, five other members of your team joined in on the pile, furiously tackling him off your friend and onto the ground. It took several whistles and yells from the refs for your players to finally relent and get off of him. 57 didn’t seem fazed at all, giving a jolly wave to your student section as he jogged back to his team.

“How many for 57?” Taeyong asked you as Johnny once again joined in on your student section’s boos and taunting of the player.

“Gotta be at least ten, probably twelve.”

The next time that 57 walked back onto the field, he was greeted by a synchronized taunt from your student section. But he seemed to rather be enjoying it, holding his arms out wide as if to taunt you all back, only making the people around you angrier.

“Who are you 57!” Johnny yelled out. “Who are you?”

You snorted at your friend’s empty threats, knowing that he’d never actually do anything if he knew who the player was. Except _maybe_ be mildly annoyed.

* * *

When the game finally ended, your team had gotten their asses handed to them. Seven to forty-nine. After the teams had lined up to give their sportsman-like high-fives, most of the students slowly filtered off the bleachers, milling around waiting for their football player friends to come from the field. 

You were standing with Taeyong, Johnny, and a couple of your other friends who typically avoid the bleachers and the mayhem of the student section like the plague, Kun and Sicheng. They were recounting the little kid who knocked into Kun’s knees and sent his wonderful hot dog flying to the ground when the one player you were waiting for finally jogged over.

“Jaehyun!” Your group of friends ecstatically greeted him as he popped in between you and Sicheng.

Wrapping an arm around his neck to pull him down to your level, you then knocked on his skull with your other fist, “Got anything left in there, Jae?”

“Surprisingly, yes.” He elbowed you in the side, and you relented, letting go of him to let him stand up straight again.

You wiped at your side and your arm, “Gross, you’re all muddy and sweaty.”

“I didn’t _ask_ you to do that.” Your friend flicked your forehead, to which you stuck your tongue out at him.

“I still can’t believe 57 didn’t get a foul.” Johnny huffed, glaring over your shoulder at the other team.

Jaehyun merely shrugged, not seeming nearly as upset by it as your other friend, “Every ref is different, it’s not 57’s fault that this ref was… not good.”

“He was atrocious!”

“Leave it, John. You’re just pissed because we lost.” Sicheng rolled his eyes, earning another huff from the taller boy.

“I’m going to help Mrs. Jung pack up concessions.” You excused yourself from your friends, giving Jaehyun one last squeeze of his arm.

At the concessions stand, you immediately slipped behind the counter and started gathering up the samples that were laid out.

“Oh, hi Y/N!” Mrs. Jung, who always ran the concessions stand at home games, greeted you brightly from where she was turning off the food heater that contained the few leftover hot dogs and hamburgers.

“I can finish up here if you want to go see Jae.” You offered as you put the samples back in their original boxes, the fridge, and containers.

“Are you sure?”

“Yeah, I don’t mind.”

“Thanks.” She took off her gloves and tossed them in the trash. “There might still be a few stragglers coming for something. Offer them the hot dogs and hamburgers for free, and feel free to have one for yourself.”

“Will do!”

As she left, you went back to busying yourself with closing up the boxes of candy and stacking them under the counter where they usually go. You could see someone approaching the counter from your right, meaning they weren’t coming from your school.

“Can I still snag something?” They asked, and you finally looked up from your task to them.

The football player who approached you was handsome, for sure. Even with being half-covered in mud, sweaty, red-faced, and his hair going up in all crazy directions. He had a lopsided grin on his face, breathing heavily but clearly still high off adrenaline as he stood there waiting for your answer. His jersey number was 57.

Jerked out of your momentary surprise, you said, “Oh yeah, of course. What do you want?”

“Red Gatorade and a Ring Pop.” He requested, setting his wallet on the counter as he leaned against it coolly.

“What flavor Ring Pop?”

“Doesn’t matter.”

You rummaged through the boxes under the counter for the Ring Pop before going to the fridge for the Gatorade. Returning to the counter, you gave him the total, and he fished the small amount of change from his wallet. After handing him the items, you then remembered your surplus food, “Oh, and we’re giving away the leftover hamburgers and hot dogs, if you want one.”

57 was still leaning against the counter, clearly not having any plans on moving anyway, his face lighting up as you said that, “Don’t mind if I do. A hamburger, please.”

Nodding, you retrieved it from the heater and handed it to him. The boy stayed where he was as he popped open his drink and peeled back some of the foil on his hamburger. You pulled up the stool in the corner of the small building, watching him with intrigue for a moment as he ate a third of the burger in one bite.

“You’re pretty stupid for coming over here.” You finally blurted out after a few moments of the two of you observing each other in silence.

This was clearly not what he was expecting, his eyebrows shooting up as he swallowed the bite he had in his mouth before talking, “What do you mean?”

“Did you not hear out entire student section booing you? You targeted our best player for the whole game. Some of those takedowns didn’t even look like they should’ve been allowed.” Even though the words you were saying were rather accusatory and hostile, you said them with a more curious and incredulous tone. Honestly, you weren’t too butthurt about it, but if some of the more passionate football fans at your school saw 57 over here, it could end badly.

“Oh, 43? Of course I had to go after him, he’s ridiculously good.” The boy shrugged nonchalantly, taking a sip of his drink.

“You may have cost Jaehyun his last few brain cells tonight.” You informed him very seriously, and as soon as he took one look at your intense face, he snorted, red Gatorade dribbling out of his mouth and down his white jersey.

Your façade cracked as you burst into laughter, eyes shut and a deep cackle coming from your mouth. As you were still chuckling to yourself, 57 desperately looked around before groaning, “Do you guys have any napkins back there?”

“Y-Yeah,” You were still laughing as you reached under the counter for the dispenser you had put away a few moments earlier. “Here you go.”

As 57 wiped at his face and tried his best with his shirt, you gradually sobered up, grin still on your face as the occasional chuckle popped out of you. He tossed the napkins in the garbage can beside the stand before returning to his position leaning against the counter and eating his hamburger.

“So you know 43?” He questioned, taking a smaller bite of his hamburger this time.

“Yeah, I’ve known Jae since pretty much forever. He moved in next door when we were six and I haven’t been able to get rid of him since.” You fake-lamented this notion with a sigh, earning a small smile from 57.

In your peripheral you could see a few more figures approaching the counter, and turned towards them to feign annoyance at their presence, “I left you guys for a reason.”

“Oh but you’re so fun to bother, Y/N.” Jaehyun teased you back, leaning against the opposite side of the counter from 57. “But actually, we heard about some free hamburgers and hotdogs?”

“Take what you want,” You gestured to the heater, letting the boys reach over the counter and retrieve their own foods.

“Thanks, Y/N!” Jaehyun and Taeyong said cheerfully before leaving, but Johnny hesitated, looking between you and 57 warily. 57 seemed oblivious, happily munching down on his food.

“Could I see you for a second?” Johnny requested.

With a roll of your eyes, you slid across the counter, landing softly on the grass on the other side. Looking to 57, you said, “Don’t steal anything.”

The player gave you a thumbs-up, mouth stuffed with hamburger. Following your friend some distance away from the concessions stand, you waited for him to say something first.

“Y/N, what are you doing with _him_?”

“Uhm, talking to him? It’s really not that deep, John.” You scoffed, shaking your head at your friend. “Enjoy your hot dog and get your head out of your ass.”

He still didn’t seem to be satisfied with your response, and you sighed before adding, “I don’t even know his name. I highly doubt I’ll see him after tonight. I’m just making conversation with a customer at the stand.”

Leaving your friend, you didn’t even expect 57 to still be at concessions, but there he was, exactly where you left him leaning against the counter. The aluminum foil that had been wrapped around his hamburger was crumpled into a ball on the counter, and you eagerly slid yourself back over the counter to perch on your stool again.

There was a pause as you saw him eyeing the heater again. The corner of your lips quirked up into half a smile as you offered, “Do you want another one?”

“Please?” His face lit up as you reached to grab another hamburger then hold it out to him.

“Aren’t you guys going to be going soon?” You asked, peering over his shoulder at his team loading up all their stuff onto their bus.

57 groaned, shaking his head, “Yeah.”

“Why are you so upset about that?”

“Going home means AP Calc homework,” He explained—to which you nodded in sympathy—before nonchalantly adding, “And I don’t get to talk to the pretty girl who works at the concession stand.”

If you had something in your mouth, you would’ve done a spit-take. Instead, you momentarily choked on your own throat and looked at him with wide eyes. You still hadn’t said anything when he started looking nervous, fingers fidgeting with the ball of foil on the counter.

“I’m sorry, I just completely misread this whole situation and—”

“No!” You cut him off, shooting up in your seat again, feeling your face flush. “You didn’t. Uhm, I don’t even know your—”

“Wong!” At the stern voice barking out what you assumed to be 57’s surname, his head snapped around. By the bus was his coach, hands thrown up in exasperation as apparently, he was holding up the whole team from leaving.

You desperately got your phone out, opening up your contacts before thrusting it into 57’s hands. His thumbs awkwardly typed in the numbers as his coach yelled his surname again. As he rushed to give you your phone back as well as grab his bag, he managed to snatch yet another hamburger before dashing off towards the bus. Halfway there, he turned around to flash a blinding grin and offer a wave and yell of goodbye. You waved back with a giggle, watching as he boarded his bus, his coach giving him a smack on the back of the head as he did so.

Even as the bus was pulling away, 57 stuck his head out the window to give you one final yell of something that you couldn’t make out, before ducking it back inside.

After you finished packing up the concessions stand, you leapt over the counter to approach your friends with a smug smile. They watched you with interest, obviously waiting for you to say something. You brought out your phone victoriously, informing them in a sing-song voice, “I got his number.”

“Whose?” Taeyong asked with a slightly tilted head.

“57.”

Your friends all immediately exploded into a chorus of disbelieving and celebratory whoops and yells, gathering around you and pushing you excitedly. You laughed along as they gradually calmed down, all still buzzing as Jaehyun hit your arm, “Well text him! Come on!”

They all erupted in agreement, and in accordance with this peer pressure, you opened your text and started a new message to ‘57’ as he had been saved in your phone. You still didn’t know his name.

[you: hey, this is y/n from the football game—

“Lame!” Sicheng scoffed, reaching over grab your phone from your hands.

“What _should_ I send then?”

“Just the first part,” he said as he furiously deleted most of your message. “There.”

Before you could stop him, he had already pressed send for you, and you smacked his chest, “I was supposed to send it!”

Sicheng had a knowing smirk on his face when he handed it back to you, “He already texted you back.”

[you: hey this is y/n]

[57: miss me already?]

“Oh he’s way too greasy for you, Y/N.” Johnny shook his head as your friends were still all crowded around you to read the message.

You elbowed him in the stomach, earning a small ‘oof’ followed by your desired silence.

[you: can’t miss someone you don’t even know the name of]

“Nice, nice. That was good.” Kun whispered, everyone’s breath’s bated as you all waited for the next message.

“Shut up.” Taeyong hissed, and you heard his finger connecting with Kun’s in a loud flick. “Y/N’s got this.”

[57: my name’s wong yukhei]

“Oh.” Sicheng sighed in disappointment, and you turned around to look at him curiously. “What? That’s a boring name.”

“What were you expecting? He’s a high school football player, not James Bond.” Turning back to your screen, you decided not to change his contact name, instead just tucking that information away in your mind.

[57: now do you miss me?]

Johnny interjected this time, “Seriously, Y/N—”

[you: that’s a little greasy, 57]

“Told you.” Taeyong snickered.

[57: fair enough]

[57: so what are you up to this weekend?]

[you: it’s my school’s homecoming, so nothing]

[57: you’re not going?]

“You’re not going?” Kun repeated aloud, and all your friends seemed mildly confused at this.

“Last year Jae and I ended up leaving two hours early to get pie, I figured I might as well skip the expensive dress, ticket, three hours getting ready and taking pictures, and two hours actually at a boring homecoming this year.” You shrugged, fingers flitting across your keyboard.

[you: it’s kind of boring honestly]

[57: then you just having been going to the right kind of homecoming]

[57: or with the right people]

Jaehyun spoke this time, “I’m offended.”

“Can you guys go away now?” You suddenly became defensive, turning to face them and hide your screen away from your friends.

That’s when you saw Mrs. Jung approaching your small group, your guardian angel it seemed.

“Hi Mrs. Jung!”

“What’s so interesting on Y/N’s phone?”

Half the group said ‘nothing’ while the other half completely exposed you, yelling out about you were talking to a boy, earning a glare from you.

“That’s nice,” She smiled. “Am I taking you home, Y/N?”

“Yes, please.”

* * *

In the car, you kept texting Yukhei, anxiously fidgeting around as your conversation neared closer and closer to what you’d been expecting this whole time.

[57: my homecoming is in three weeks. do you think that i could eventually ask you to it?]

[you: you’re asking me if it’s okay to ask me to your homecoming?]

[57: hey now i sound lame]

[57: i mean, after hanging out again. like tomorrow maybe?]

[you: yes to both]

“Nice, Y/N!” Jaehyun suddenly yelled out beside you in the dead silent car, startling you.

Clutching your chest, your ecstatic grin flared out to a tiny glare at your friend that had apparently still been reading your messages over your shoulder. Defensively turning your phone off, you continued glaring at him for another moment before relenting and letting yourself be excited again. Excited for tomorrow, and a possible future homecoming with number 57.


End file.
